Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/303789
doors, a rarity in Vegas. "We had a customer here playing for 24 hours," says Ken Wong, who helped create the Paiza and now oversees it. "Many of our Asian guests come and play for $200,000 or $300,000 per hand. That is their main reason for visiting Las Vegas, and they want privacy. We can serve a full meal at the gaming table, or they can come into the dining room and the chef will prepare a tasting menu based on what they like. Usually, though, it's the simple things. They love having traditional noodle a nd congee dishes, made exact ly a s t hey would be at home." Ot her t imes it's a specia l va r iat ion on stea med eggs, a st aple in China that's rarely made in America, accompanied by 12 channels of Chinese TV. "We concentrate on everyday food that is difficult to get here," says Wong. "We want them to feel like they're at home." NO MATTER WHER E THEY STAY, IT'S A GOOD BET that Vegas's most pampered guests will end up visiting the Shops at Crystals, where those looking for rare gems may find themselves in the luxuriously appointed back room of Va n Cleef & A r pels, a sa nctum sa nctorum of consumer ism. Millions of dolla rs' wor t h of cashew-size dia monds a nd impossibly green emeralds reside back here, never making it to the front counter. The lighting has been designed to be warm and inviting; patrons are made to feel as if they're in someone's home. Free-spending customers who would prefer more pr ivacy a re inv ited inside to sip Cha mpag ne, admire the fabric-wrapped walls and velvet drapes, and gaze upon mind- blow ing jewels. L ike t he $ 8 4,0 0 0 Midnight in Pa r is watch, whose face subtly changes each day so that its constellation always matches the real one in the night sky over Paris, or the Féerie watch (price upon request), whose fairy is fashioned from white gold and diamonds, her wings f lutter- ing to signify the minutes, her magic wand indicating the hour. If the surroundings and the merchandise—handled by a black-gloved salesperson—don't make you feel special, then this advisory from store manager Ruth Fung may do the trick: "We want you to try something on that you won't see elsewhere. They're pieces that, perhaps, if you pass them up today, you will never see them again." Conforming perfectly with A riely's research, the statement is deliv- ered as a slightly starchy yet still friendly warning about the pleasurable problems you may encounter upon fa lling t h rough t he rabbit hole of secret places in Las Vegas a nd br ushing up aga inst t he cit y's most pre- cious commodities. Even if you're not buying rare stones while sipping Champagne, or stashing a cool million at the Bellagio, or eating Peking duck at 4 AM, just knowing that you could conceivably do these things is a bit of a trip. Aren't you feeling a little more special already? V In Las Vegas, where indulging in rare luxury is often the very reason for coming here, the allure is magnified. FROM LEFT: XS Nightclub's managing partner, Jesse Waits, has an intricate software system for determining who scores the best tables in the house; the private Van Cleef & Arpels showroom at the Shops at Crystals offers an intimate view of its high-end jewelry; the Paiza Club's gatekeepers limit access to only the Venetian's very best customers. VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 125 122-125_V_F_SecretVegas_MAYJUNE_14.indd 125 4/21/14 1:18 PM